Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical service distribution board that is accommodated in a housing, has a feed conductor that is inserted into the housing and outgoer conductors that lead to individual loads. Electrical service devices are provided with different protection tasks, such as fault current protection, short circuit or overcurrent protection and the like, which can be connected to the feed conductor and to the outgoer conductors by a plug connection via a connection system which contain connection conductors connected to them. A mounting plate for holding the service devices is provided. The connection conductors are disposed underneath the mounting plate and the mounting plate has openings into which plug elements that are disposed on the service devices can be inserted.
Service distribution boards such as these are installed for electrical power distribution and protection in buildings. Circuit breakers, fault current circuit breakers and the like are accommodated in a service distribution board housing and are intended to protect individual loads within a network.
Housings such as these normally contain top-up profile mounting rails at the bottom of the housing, onto which the switching devices are snapped. The switching devices are connected to one another phase-by-phase by busbars, with only one busbar being used for single-phase devices, and so-called busbar blocks being used for polyphase applications, which have a busbar holding housing with a number of chambers, and ribbon conductors inserted into the chambers, with connecting lugs being provided on the ribbon conductors, which can be inserted into connecting terminals on the switching devices, and can be clamped firmly in them. If a number of top-up profile mounting rails are disposed one above the other, then connection conductor configurations are provided, to which the individual busbars are connected.
Published, Non-Prosecuted German Patent Application DE 196 28 957 A1 discloses a service distribution board which has a housing in which ribbon conductors are accommodated, on which connecting lugs are integrally formed which have contact tulips, into which plug lugs which are disposed on the lower face of the switching devices can be inserted, with a top-up profile mounting rail onto which the switching devices are snapped being fitted to the housing. When they are snapped on, the plug lugs make an electrically conductive contact with the contact tulips through openings that are provided in the housing. The switching devices that are used are those which have a normal switching device form; the plug lug is just fitted on the lower face instead of screw connecting terminals, into which electrical conductors can be inserted through openings on the narrow faces.
In comparison to conventional distribution boards, the configuration considerably simplifies the mounting process to the extent that, at least on the access side of the switching device, there is no longer any need to firmly clamp an electrical conductor or a connecting lug by a tool.
A feed line is inserted into the distribution board and is connected to the busbars. Outgoer lines which are associated with the individual switching devices are laid within the service distribution board housing and are passed out of the housing, with the outgoer lines being connected to the feeders to the loads. In this case, incorrect connections can occur due to confusion, for example with a load that is to be protected by a fault-current circuit breaker incorrectly being connected to a circuit breaker.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an electrical service distribution board which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, which is even easier to install, and in which incorrect connections are avoided.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an electrical service distribution board. The distribution board contains a housing, a feed conductor inserted into the housing, outgoer conductors leading to individual loads, and electrical service devices with different protection tasks such as fault current protection, short circuit protection, and/or over-current protection. A connection system is provided and has connection conductors. A plug connection connects the electrical service devices to the feed conductor and the outgoer conductors through the connection system. Plug elements are disposed on the electrical service devices. A mounting plate for holding the electrical service devices is provided. The connection conductors are disposed underneath the mounting plate and the mounting plate has openings into which the plug elements disposed on the electrical service devices are inserted. A base module provides a basic function and/or a basic protection function being associated with the electrical service devices, and the base module is disposed in the housing. At least one circuit module with specific additional protection functions such as a short-circuit protection, overcurrent protection, and/or fault current protection, is provided. The specific additional protection functions are matched to the basic function and the basic protection function of the base module and interact with them. An outgoer module is connected to the outgoer conductors leading to the individual loads.
According to the invention, the service distribution board has a base module which has the basic and/or basic protection functions, at least one device which is in the form of a circuit module and has specific additional protection functions, which are matched to the basic and/or basic protection functions in the base module and interact with them, and an outgoer module for the connection of connecting conductors which lead to the loads.
The individual functions are thus separated into basic functions and/or basic protection functions, which must be provided in every service distribution board, and into those functions that interact with them and are contained in the circuit modules. By way of example, a circuit breaker function is accommodated in a circuit module; the short-circuit protection function which is provided in the base module corresponds to a contact opening, as is provided in a selective main switch.
The basic protection function may, for example, contain a short-circuit protection which, for example, can be formed by a dynamic contact opening configuration or by a resistor with a positive temperature coefficient, both of which are accommodated in the base module, fault-current protection with fire protection, and overvoltage protection. In this case, it is possible to set a fault current which is approximately 300 mA.
The functions which are located in the circuit modules may have a short-circuit, fault-current and overvoltage protection function, with the short-circuit function corresponding, for example, to that of a circuit breaker, and with the short-circuit protection function in the base module acting like a selective main circuit breaker.
A timer or the like may also be provided in one of the circuit modules.
The service distribution board has an associated control unit, by which the functions of the base module and of the circuit modules can be adjusted. In this case, the basic protection functions may be adjusted only by a technician; certain functions in the circuit modules, for example in the timer, may then be changed by the user.
The individual connection conductors between the base module and the circuit modules are configured in a particularly advantageous manner in the form of prefabricated busbars, which are installed in fixed positions in the service housing.
According to a further advantageous refinement of the invention, display and control panels may be provided on the front face of each device that is in the form of a circuit module, for example for switch position indication or for on and off switching operations. In this case, each circuit module may also be equipped with basic functions; the control unit may be used to configure the circuit module.
According to one further advantageous refinement and improvement of the invention, the connection conductors between the base module and the circuit modules are in the form of prefabricated busbars. In this case, the busbars and/or connection conductors to which the circuit modules are connected are accommodated in at least one busbar housing, on which the access openings for all the functions to the busbars are provided. The busbars are connected via plug pins. According to the invention, the base module together with the control unit and a first number of circuit modules forms a basic unit, which can be expanded by an additional unit which may accommodate only circuit modules. The circuit modules in the additional unit may be actuated and configured from the control unit, or by the control unit for the basic unit. The service distribution board can thus be expanded as required.
The individual circuit modules can be plugged and latched onto the busbar housing, with an identical configuration of plug elements being provided for circuit modules with the same functions, so that loads that can be protected by the same protection are protected only by circuit modules that are matched to them.
According to one further refinement of the invention, the contact openings and plug elements for each circuit module may be associated with one another in the same way or differently for each opening area, so that only in each case one circuit module of one specific type can be fitted to each opening area.
The plug elements are preferably in the form of pins which are sprung in the radial direction with respect to their longitudinal axis, can be inserted into holding openings in the busbars, and are electrically and mechanically firmly connected to them.
One preferred refinement of the invention may contain the capability to associate coupling elements, for coupling to a bus system (EIB) with at least the base module and/or the control unit. It is thus possible to dispose the service distribution board in a row in a bus system for a building, for example in accordance with EIB regulations and requirements.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an electrical service distribution board, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.